Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can't walk for a year? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 4,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations -- making it possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Packing for Mars takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

Praise for Packing for Mars:

New York Times #6 Bestseller

S.F. Chronicle #1 Bestseller

Whether she's "Supermanning" around in zero gravity or investigating the
challenges of mating in space, her strength as an author is her ability to
insert both herself and the reader into the action. —Williamette Week, Portland, Oregon

Her "style is at its most substantial - and most hilarious - in the zero-gravity realm that 'Packing for Mars' explores...As startling as it is funny." —Janet Maslin, New York Times